These Are the Days We'll Remember
by InevitableConfusion
Summary: 5: Of Braids and Princesses / Anna gave a bright smile. "I'm making Daddy a princess!" / EdWin, rated T, extreme fluff ahead
1. Breathless

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted anything in a _really long time holy crap_, but senior year has really been kicking my butt :/

Anyway, there will be a description in my profile explaining what I plan to do with this story (and what this story actually _is_), so if you have any questions please go read that first. If that still doesn't answer your question, absolutely feel free to PM me, and I'll get back to you asap! :)

Now, on with the story!

**Disclaimer:** Look up the definitions for "fan" and "fiction". Put two and two together. Voila.

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><p><em><strong>B<strong>__reathless._

Edward Elric sat on his couch skimming the newspaper. It was about mid-morning and his wife was still upstairs doing who-knows-what, leaving him alone to find something to occupy himself with. He scowled, taking a sip of his coffee and putting it back down on the end table. It was a slow news day, and he'd really rather be doing something else at the moment, but he didn't know what else to do.

His golden eyes skated across the page, finding nothing interesting enough to latch on to. _Crap... crap... I don't care... crap..._ But when he turned the page, something caught his eye.

"'Basket ball'...?" As he read the article, he had to admit that he was somewhat intrigued. It wasn't a new sport, according to the article, yet the_ Risembool Express_ had never published anything about it... that was weird.

Slowly, he was becoming engrossed in the article, but his concentration was suddenly interrupted by a burst of noise. He looked up and put his paper down as the rapid pounding of footsteps padded down the stairs and quickly approached him. His wife came into view, determination set on her pretty face, and ran full-speed towards him. Ed began to panic when he realized she was getting closer and closer, but not slowing down.

The next thing he knew, she was on his lap, her fingers lacing with his, kissing him. He stiffened for several moments, his brain trying to register what had just happened. When his thoughts caught up to reality, he relaxed and closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle feel of her lips on his for as long as he could. His heart was jumping and he mentally tried to calm it down, with very little success. It seems that, even after four years of marriage, this girl could still get his heart racing.

Then again, he loved her, and he hoped this flame would never die out.

She pulled away, instead opting to pepper his face with soft butterfly kisses. It took a moment for him to regain his ability to speak, but he eventually spoke up in a relatively calm voice, "Winry, what in the world-"

His breath was stolen a second time. However, this kiss was a little more... desperate. A bad feeling sparked in the pit of his stomach, and it intensified when her hands cupped his face.

Her hands were _shaking_.

He broke the kiss, her hands dropping into her lap, and the bad feeling increased ten fold when he looked at her. Tears. Tears were rolling down her flushed cheeks.

She was crying.

"Shit," he mumbled under his breath, intense worry gracing his features. He cupped her chin and tilted her face up to get a better look at her. She sniffed and closed her eyes, sitting still as he wiped his sleeve gently across her eyes and cheeks. His soft, slightly demanding voice reached her ears, "Win, what's wrong?"

She opened her blue eyes to meet his piercing golden gaze, the pure concern in them striking her silent for a moment. And she stole his breath away for the third time in a matter of minutes when she flashed him the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.

Her eyes lit up in a way that rivaled the sun. Her rosy cheeks deepened in color and the bridge of her nose crinkled slightly as a genuine smile spread over her face. The brightness of her smile reached every inch of her. She was glowing. The last time he saw her looking this radiant, honestly, was their wedding day. She just _blossomed_.

Ed felt heat slowly crawling up his face as his heart began beating loudly in his ears.

"I'm happy, Ed," she said quietly, wiping the corner of her eye with her palm and giggling slightly at his blush. He looked at her, confused. _She's crying because she's happy?_

Winry grabbed his hand with both of hers and began moving it towards her. He watched with rapt attention as their hands came to rest on... her stomach.

...

OH MY...

His eyes grew wide and his head shot up to look at her. "Holy- Winry, are you...?" He couldn't even finish his sentence. She simply giggled at his expression and squeezed his hand lightly, which was still resting on her stomach, before nodding once.

After all, one nod was all she could get in before he sprung up, lifted her off the ground, and twirled her around several times, the largest smile on his face. She laughed at his excitement and squealed, "Ed, don't make me dizzy!"

"Sorry," he said, setting her on her feet. Edward pulled her into a hug and buried his face in her neck, still grinning madly. He breathed deeply, calming down and waiting a bit before speaking, content to just rest in her arms. "I can't believe," he whispered softly, "that you're going to be a mommy, Winry."

She nodded after a second and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling his ponytail out in the process. Then she whispered back to him, "And you're going to be a daddy, Edward."

... A dad.

A father.

He would be raising a child.

Ed nuzzled his face further into the crook of her neck. "... I like the sound of that." He pulled away to look at his amazing wife and fondly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. And as he looked at her, he made a vow: he was never going to abandon her and their child -_never. _He was not his father, and he certainly wasn't going to become his father. He would never leave their side.

_I swear it._

He rested his forehead against hers and the couple closed their eyes. Winry let out a soft, content sigh and it was quiet in the household for a few minutes.

...

"Hey, Win?"

"Hmm?"

He opened his eyes and watched as he weaved their fingers together. "You know... I love you, right?"

She smiled and tenderly touched a hand to her stomach again.

"...Yeah."

_End._

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><p>Okay, is it me, or are my stories just getting cheesier and cheesier?<p>

Raaah, whatever :P

This idea has been in my head for a good year or so now, so it feels good to finally write it down. On a side note, I had to do a bit of research on basketball for this lol (and I actually did more research than I needed to in the end).

K, thanks for reading, and reviews are greatly appreciated and will be responded to! :)

~Vee


	2. Little Things

Hey! So... it's been a while.

Well, I don't wanna keep you from the story, so if you want to know what's going on read the author's note at the bottom.

Enjoy! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

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><p><em><strong>L<strong>ittle **T**hings._

Winry Rockbell closed her eyes and leaned back on her hands, a content sigh escaping her lips. Stress had really accumulated over the past week and it was definitely taking its toll on the young woman. But the week was over and she had no more appointments to fulfill until Monday, so at least for now, she could relax. A small smile crept across her lips and she basked in the light of the late-afternoon sun as it warmed her face. A low breeze rushed over her skin and played with her long hair. It felt amazing to just be able to let everything go.

Although it was nothing compared to the Briggs Mountains, Resembool was still known for having exceptionally dark and cold winters. It was in the depths of those months that she missed moments like this. She missed the feeling of cool, slightly damp blades of grass beneath her hands and legs; the sound of birds happily chirping out songs to each other in faraway trees; the distinct smell of wildflower fields and approaching rain; seeing bright, clear blue skies and vivid colors _everywhere. _They were small things, normally insignificant, but the longing for them was always so incredible, so intense, so _powerful _in those dark and depressing months that she physically ached for them. She missed the little things.

Naturally, now that the weather was much nicer and she actually _could_ experience these things, she wasn't going to take it for granted. She opened her eyes and turned her unfocused stare to the landscape in front of her, mind wandering all over the place. Her fingers grazed across a flower that sat near to her and she absently started toying with the stem. Softly, she began to hum under her breath. This was easily the most relaxed that she had been in months, and she wasn't one to let it slip by too quickly. She reveled in the silence. Silence didn't last long at her house.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Startled out of her thoughts by the voice, she turned her gaze to see the older Elric brother striding calmly towards her, hands stuffed deep in his pockets. Her eyes lingered on his right arm, extending out from underneath the sleeve of his t-shirt, unmarred and flesh and _whole_, and she let a bright grin stretch across her face. Her eyes lifted back up to his and something constricted in her chest, making it hard to breathe for a moment. But she was very familiar with this feeling and the reason behind it, so it was not unwelcome. She fiddled with the flower stem that was still resting between her fingers before gently plucking it from the ground.

A certain familiar twinkle entered her eye. She said, teasing him good-naturedly, "Why Ed, did you miss me?"

Edward visibly twitched, halting slightly in his step, quite obviously caught off-guard. It was as if he wasn't expecting to have to explain himself. She lifted the flower closer to her chest and absently started rolling the stem between her fingers. He was quiet as he walked up to her, but at this point he was avoiding looking at her.

He answered as he sat down heavily on the grass beside her, still not meeting her gaze. "More or less, yeah."

In a moment, all the air rushed out of her lungs. Winry definitely hadn't been expecting such an honest answer. She turned and gave a shocked look to the man next to her, but he had his eyes closed and was lying on his back, arms resting behind his head like a pillow. He looked cool and collected, and she might've thought he was asleep if it hadn't been for the fact that he just spoke to her. But when she looked closer, she could see the slight coloring in his cheeks and the shallowness of his breathing. She smiled softly. His reaction would've been incredibly different just a couple of years ago. He would've been a sputtering, blushing mess and probably would've scowled unpleasantly. He might have shot a sarcastic comment right back at her. He might've even left in an angry, embarrassed huff.

It really amazed her how such a little comment could open her eyes to how much he had grown.

Sensing her gaze on him, he risked opening one striking golden eye to look at her. She was still smiling softly at him. He swallowed thickly. "What?"

Her heart stuttered a bit when she heard his husky voice. Did this man even realize how attractive he was? She pulled her legs closer to her and faced him fully before sitting cross-legged. He held her gaze, both eyes now open, and she refused to let herself look away.

"I'm really glad you're back," she said quietly, never losing her smile.

He stared at her for a long while before closing his eyes again, humming softly in response. She looked back out over the landscape and bit her lip, fiddling with the flower once again. Their conversation had reached a lull, and although she was content to sit in silence with him, she couldn't help but feel like there was something more to be said. It felt tense and almost awkward for her, as if there were words hanging in the air around them.

A shuffling sound coming from beside her broke her train of thought and before she could even react, Edward's head was settling into her lap.

Winry felt her entire body heat up. She looked down at the man, whose eyes were firmly closed, and this time there was no mistaking the red dusting his cheeks and creeping to the tip of his ears. The silence around them increased ten-fold and neither person spoke. Edward was very tense and his eyes were moving rapidly underneath his eyelids. She almost laughed out of sheer awkwardness.

What should she do? _What should she do?_ The constricting feeling in her chest tightened, but she was absolutely giddy. If Ed hadn't been there, she would've jumped up and started dancing. And it didn't take long for her to realize that he _wouldn't _be there much longer if she didn't try to alleviate the awkwardness, and _fast_. Her mind kicking into overdrive, she quickly forced every part of her body to relax as much as possible. A bit unsure what to do with her hands, she hesitantly brushed his bangs out of his eyes. He twitched, not expecting the contact, but voiced no protest.

His hair was surprisingly soft. A sense of fascination took over as she gently touched his hair again. She couldn't even remember the last time he had let her touch it. She remembered braiding it for him when he underwent surgery, but that felt like a lifetime ago. They had been through so much since then. Their relationship had changed. They had changed. And back then, it was very different. Back then, she would braid his hair quickly and efficiently for the purpose of getting it out of the way. But now… her fingers lightly combed through his hair, coming to a stop when they felt the tug of his ponytail before lifting up and starting at his hairline once again. She stared quietly at his slowly relaxing face.

Now… it was gentle. Deliberate. Relaxed. Dare she say… intimate.

Her cheeks flushed pleasantly and she smiled, more to herself since Edward couldn't see her. She looked up, staring at the large clouds off in the distance. Without even realizing it, she began humming again.

Several minutes passed before Ed softly piped up.

"I'm glad to be back."

Winry paused and looked down at him. His eyes were open again, but not looking at her. She watched his right hand as it lifted off of his stomach and started plucking out pieces of grass. "Didn't you enjoy your trip?" she questioned.

Absently, she picked up the flower, which had been discarded near her hand, and twirled it between her fingers again, her other hand lifting from his hair and resting on her knee. When he started to speak she flicked her gaze back to his face.

"Well, yeah, but," he started to weave the strands of grass into a small circle. His fingers were surprisingly nimble and gentle when handling the thin blades. "I got… really homesick sometimes."

"You know… I _did_ notice that you called a lot more this time around. Could it be you're actually getting tired of traveling?" she grinned, leaning forward to make eye contact with him, hair falling over her shoulders and enveloping them in a cage of gold.

"I wouldn't say that. There were just a lot of times I found myself wishing you were there with me…" He trailed off, eyes widened slightly as he realized what had just escaped his mouth. Wrenching his gaze away from her face, he nervously cleared his throat and focused his attention back on his hands. "And Al, too, of course. That is to say… uh… I just –I just missed you guys because I was used to seeing both of you every day since I lived here for two years and it was a little weird going from that to almost nothing and I'm sure Al missed you too and… yeah…"

Recovering quickly and attempting to salvage what could become an awkward situation, Winry sat back a bit and grinned at him, heat creeping up her neck. She took the flower and playfully tapped it on his nose. "Yeah, I'm _sure_ you missed being yelled at and beaten over the head with power tools nearly every day."

He smirked, cheeks still rosy, and swatted the flower away from his face, snorting. "No girl knows how to wield a wrench quite like you."

"Oh, if you looked hard enough you could find _someone_. I know for a fact that you had plenty of fan girls swarming around you in some of the larger cities over there."

He halted his motions long enough to shoot her a look. "You know how I feel about that kind of attention."

"Hmm," ministrations on his hair started up once again. Glancing at his hands, she noticed that he was just finishing up with whatever he was working on. The grass was woven very delicately into a small circle. She marveled at his eye for detail and the gentleness with which he handled the tiny object.

"But it just goes to show, there really is no place like home, huh?"

She blinked at him, words ringing in her ears. _No place like home._

_Home._

A warm feeling instantly swelled in her chest. What was this? Pride, maybe? Satisfaction? Whatever it was, it was nice. She smiled softly and looked at him. She slowly reached down and brushed some of his hair aside, letting her fingers lightly graze over the soft skin on his face. She felt him shiver. Then she took the flower that was still resting in her other hand and gently tucked it behind his ear.

"Yeah, home."

He looked up at her, a myriad of emotions on his face. Before she could completely pull her hand away he caught it in his. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but was struggling to get it out. "I… thank you, Win,"

Her heart hammered against her chest a mile-a-minute. "F-for what?"

He was silent, looking at her hand and absently tracing the lines in her palm with his thumb as he searched for the right words. Finally, he responded, his voice barely above a whisper.

"For waiting. You always wait for me. Even when I don't get the chance to outright ask you to, you still wait." He looked at her with a disarmingly honest expression. "Thank you."

Anything she might have said completely died on her lips when he slipped the little grass ring on her finger.

It fit perfectly.

In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder how he knew the size of her fingers. _He's a scientist_, she reasoned. A born observer. And with how often he comes in contact with her hands due to her work, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he would know her ring size. At least that's what she told herself as she tried desperately to tone down the heat crawling into her cheeks.

His soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she held her breath. He was looking directly at her, red as a tomato, and it was decidedly the most endearing thing she had ever seen.

"I know you've waited a long time, but…" he placed her hand gently on the side of his face, covering it with his own. His hand was warm, and dry, and rough with calluses, no doubt gained from years of horrible fighting. And yet, it was shaking. "Would you… mind waiting just a bit longer?"

She let the words sink in. And all at once, she understood. He wasn't ready for any big changes yet. But… that's not to say that he won't be ready in the future. He just wanted her to wait a bit longer for him, until he _was_ ready. She glanced at the trinket he had placed on her finger, peeking out from under his own, larger hand. It was simple. It was brittle. It was cheap. But it was there.

She locked eyes with him once again and was blown away. His gaze was so intense. Her thumb barely grazed across his cheek and she smiled softly.

"Of course."

He squeezed her hand and smiled back, and in that moment the only thing she felt was the desperate, crippling need to kiss him senseless; three simple words clawed at her mouth, craving to escape her lips. But he needed time, and she would wait a thousand years if she had to. She wasn't in a rush. That's all that their lives had been for the longest time –a rush. She didn't want that anymore. There was no need for it. Why hurry through life when, in the end, you'll always get where you need to go? It won't get you there any faster; you'll just be too focused on the future to enjoy the present. For once, she just wanted to take things slow. Look around at the scenery. Enjoy quiet moments like this. It would be a welcome change of pace.

After all, she didn't want to miss the little things.

_End._

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><p>And that was "Little Things"! Hope you liked it! Please take the time to review if you did (or didn't). Constructive criticism is welcomed :)<p>

**Here's what's been going on:** The past year or so has been extremely busy. I could manage fairly regular posting in high school, but I have very, _very_ little free time in college -and when I do have free time, I'm probably catching up on sleep.

Along with this, I've had to deal with several deaths lately of loved ones and pets, and I was in and out of the ER for a while because of asthma. Slap some intense writer's block in with that, and you get the reason I haven't posted anything in a _really long time_.

Good news is I've escaped the writer's block and I have so many ideas that I might be able to get down before the semester gets too hectic. I'm very sorry about this, you guys! I definitely won't stop posting, so please be patient with me!

And I really want to thank you for your love and support! I kept up with reviews during my unannounced hiatus, and every one of them really means a lot to me. Thank you so much! 3 I really love and appreciate all of you, regardless of if you review or not.

The next couple stories that go up should be much longer, so hopefully that'll make up for it!

Vee :)


	3. Morning Shenanigans

Heyo! Here's a new chapter for ya! I've had this idea for a few months and last night I randomly got inspired to write something, and this was pooped out. And yes, that's the real title. Because I like the word "Shenanigans."

**Attention Readers:** This snippet is definitely deserving of the PG-13 rating. There's nothing even close to explicit in the story, but there are... _implications_ that might make certain people uncomfortable. I don't know. Normally this stuff doesn't float my boat, but I thought the idea was really cute. Anyway, you have been warned. (But really, it's not that bad.)

Well, hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or it's characters.

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><p><em><strong>M<strong>orning **S**henanigans_

When Edward woke up, the first thing he noticed was that the songbirds were far too loud for it being this early in the morning. The second thing he noticed was that he had far too much room to himself in this bed.

He blearily opened his eyes and looked to his side to confirm that, yes indeed, the bed was empty. He swept his vision around the sun-bathed room, slowly trying to remember where he was, when the tantalizing smell of eggs and sausage invaded his nostrils and jogged his memory. A smirk graced his lips even as he felt the beginnings of a blush on his cheeks. _Oh, yeah._

He dragged out of the bed, not bothering to fix the sheets, and threw on some sweatpants. Then he frowned, looking all around the floor. He could've _sworn_ he left his shirt lying there as well. Shrugging, he decided to waltz out without one. Not like _she'd_ mind, anyway.

He smiled and opened the bedroom door, but nearly stopped short when he saw her.

Well, found the shirt.

Winry was standing in front of the oven, cooking something over the stove. Wearing his shirt. And nothing _but_ the shirt, from what he could tell. It landed around her upper thigh, so at least there was some modesty. _Some._ Edward gulped.

"Morning sleepyhead!" she chirped happily. He gave a grunt in reply, trekking over to the table where a cup of coffee and the newspaper waited for him. She tossed him a look. "You could give me a little more than that."

Taking one sip of the coffee, he pushed the newspaper aside and stared unabashedly at the woman, who had turned back around. His golden gaze traveled up the length of her long, creamy legs, pausing appreciatively at her backside, up her small waist and to her neck, which was exposed when she pulled her long blonde hair over her shoulder. The neck of his shirt was a bit large on her, so it was showing quite a bit of skin. Really, she was too much.

And yet, he couldn't get enough.

He stood silently and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and burying his face in the crook of her neck. "Good morning, Mrs. Elric."

He felt her shiver and her skin grew warm. He kissed her shoulder and she gave a soft, content sigh, leaning into him slightly. "Much better."

They stood there for a moment, Winry still cooking, before Ed piped up.

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

"How tired are you?"

"Not really tired at all. Why?"

His arms tightened around her. "How busy are you?"

She turned around in his arms. "A little busy, Ed. In case you haven't noticed-"

He cut her off with a long kiss, pulling her as close as possible. When he pulled back, Winry barely had time to breathe before he started attacking her neck with sensual kisses. She groaned; whether from his lips or from the realization of what he was asking, she didn't know.

"Really? _Now?_"

He nipped a particularly sensitive spot and she yelped, smacking him lightly. He just chuckled and started kissing his way up her jaw.

"But breakfast is almost ready and I've worked so hard on it," she whined.

His lips traced the skin in front of her ear. He whispered mischievously, "Then let's work up an appetite."

Goosebumps danced over her skin, but she wouldn't back down. She worked hard on this, dammit!

"It'll get cold," she pouted. He pulled back and looked at her, frowning slightly but never losing that twinkle in his eye.

"We'll heat it up."

He kissed her again and lightly trailed his fingers down the length of her spine, and all of her resolve instantly melted away. She was panting by the time he broke the kiss and he rested his forehead on hers. They just stood there, and for a few sweet seconds, the rest of the world was forgotten.

He lifted a hand to her cheek and pulled back just enough to look at her without going cross-eyed. "Are you busy, Win?" he whispered, an adoring smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

She stared at him for only a moment before lifting up onto her toes and snaking her arms around his neck. "The food can wait."

He smiled into the kiss and then broke away, bending down to pick her up and throwing her over his shoulder. She laughed and latched her arms around his torso, swatting him when he tickled her leg. God, he was so stupid and she loved him so much.

"Ed," she giggled, "at least turn off the stove before the eggs burn!"

He rolled his eyes and made a show out of turning off the stove, then promptly carried her into the bedroom before gently kicking the door shut.

The birds didn't bother him this time.

_End._

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><p>See, not that bad, right? Well, whatever.<p>

I really enjoyed writing this, even thought certain parts were _extremely_ cliche (I was literally rolling my eyes as I was writing things). Buy hey. It's my story and I have the right to be as cliche as I want with it!

I also tried my best to make the characters as canon as possible, but it's a bit difficult as this is set a couple of years after the manga ends. I like to think Ed is secretly a romantic and, once he gets more comfortable with showing affection, that side of him shines through. He's not gonna be an embarrassed, sputtering teenager forever; at some point, he has to mature. After all, supposedly he and Winry have a lot of kids, so obviously he's doing _something_ right!

But yeah, stupid, lighthearted read. It's not really meant to be taken super seriously, just a fun little break from reality. I hope you enjoyed it!

If you did, please leave a review! And if you didn't, feel free to leave me constructive criticism! Flames will be deleted without notice.

Thanks!

Vee


	4. Scarred

Hello! New update to this story, woohoo!

Bit of a warning: This chapter is short, but it packs in the emotion. There's lots of angst. (But it wouldn't be FMA without a good dose of angst every so often.) There's also a fair amount of cursing, but nothing too bad.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or it's characters.

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><p><strong><em>S<em>**_carred._

She heard snoring when she walked into the living room. It was ten-thirty at night, in the middle of June, and the man she loved was completely knocked out on her too-small couch in her too-big house.

Winry sighed, a smile inching its way across her lips as she looked down at him. After all this time, Edward could still sleep anywhere, even if it was the most uncomfortable piece of furniture known to mankind. Old habits die hard, eh? She supposed she should wake him up so he could head up to his own room. Of course, she would need to remind him not to stomp up the stairs. Al was mostly better after a year of recovery, but he was probably asleep already. And Granny, despite how spry she acted, was still an old woman who needed her rest.

It wasn't really surprising that he was passed out on her sofa, though; it had been a long day. He'd woken up early and made a mess of the kitchen in an attempt to make breakfast before she found him and kicked him out. (She did have him brew some coffee, though. Ed made damn good coffee.) After that, both of them grabbed Al and spent the entire day repainting the house. In the early evening, she'd stopped to clean herself up after their paint war and started on dinner. By the time the boys finished up, it was getting dark and they were exhausted. As she looked at the noisy blond she wondered if maybe she should just let him sleep.

Winry moved to grab a blanket near where his feet hung off the couch. In that moment, her eyes had skimmed unabashedly across his well-defined stomach which had, of course, been peeking out from under his shirt. And she saw something that made her stop dead in her tracks.

A scar. A horrible, ragged scar splayed out over his abdomen. It was massive. It was ugly. And she had never seen it before.

She reared back, as if the very sight of it had threatened her, and gasped loudly. Ed stirred slightly, but she didn't notice. The more she stared at it, the harder it was to breathe. _Oh god… oh_ _**god.**_She reached out with a shaking hand, unable to tear her eyes away from the terrible mark that blemished his tanned skin. She lightly skimmed her fingers across the rough flesh and her throat constricted.

She snatched her hand back as if she'd been scorched. Her knees buckled beneath her, and her heart felt like lead despite it's rapidly increasing pace.

"Winry?" She looked up and met bleary, half-lidded golden eyes. "What's going on? What time is it?"

She tried to say something, she really did, but nothing came out. She just stared at him with an alarmed expression. She sat on the coffee table, one hand holding the edge in a white-knuckled grip, the other halfway extended, as if reaching for something. His eyes followed the path of her hand before widening, completely awake now.

"Win," he said in a tone she hadn't heard him use in over a year, "listen to me." He sat up slowly, deliberately holding her gaze as he tugged the hem of his shirt back down. He grabbed her extended hand gently. "I want you to forget about this, okay? Just forget you ever saw it. It's nothing to worry about."

"Where… When-"

"Just don't worry about it, Winry. It's okay." Her heart was pounding and her ears started to ring, and try as she might, she couldn't stop shaking.

"How?" she finally choked out. She was breathing heavier as her voice jumped an octave, strangled by a rising panic attack. _"How did you survive this?"_

"Don't be silly, Winry, it's just a little scar-"

_"Little?!"_ she screeched, yanking her hand away from his grip as she stood up. She couldn't believe he was lying to her face so blatantly! "My parents were doctors, Edward, I _know_ what a lethal wound looks like!"

"I told you, it's not a big deal!" he yelled as he stood up as well, his temper getting the best of him. "It was a long time ago!"

"And you _never told me?!_" Fire burned behind her eyes. Or maybe it wasn't fire. "How long were you planning on keeping something like _this-_" she flicked her hand toward his stomach "-from me?"

"I didn't want to worry you! I would've told you eventually!"

"When? When, huh? When you're a brittle old man? When you're leaving to go on another _stupid_ adventure?" Damn her voice for breaking.

He paused, both of them suddenly remembering there were sleeping occupants above them. He took a deep breath, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking away.

"It… it didn't –_doesn't_ concern you."

_There it was._ That godforsaken bullshit phrase that she'd heard one too many times. She stared at him for a good long moment, her chest stinging and her vision becoming watery. He refused to meet her eyes.

"Don't you dare," she whispered hoarsely. "Don't you dare pull that shit on me."

He sighed quietly and met her gaze, anger instantly draining out of him. "Listen, I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this. I'm alive. What happened happened, and there's nothing I can do to change it. It doesn't matter anymore, okay?" He tried to sound soothing. It didn't work.

"It matters to _me, _Edward. You could've…" she hiccupped and her face crumpled, unable to hold off the tears any longer. "Y-you might not…"

Before he could even think of what to do, she fell back onto the table with her face in her shaking hands. He sat down slowly, not daring to say a word.

A minute passed.

Then two.

Then five.

Edward sat with his elbows on his knees and his hands squeezing together, glaring at the floor and generally feeling like a complete jerk. A few sniffles and breathy sobs escaped Winry but it was otherwise silent.

Finally, he looked up at her and reached out, gently prying her hands away from her face. It took some coaxing, but she eventually looked up at him, her cheeks red and blotchy and her eyes swollen. Without saying anything, he wrapped his arms around her. She hid her face in his neck as a fresh wave of tears bombarded her. She clutched at his back and he pulled her into his lap.

"Please," she whispered brokenly against his neck, "Please… please, Ed… don't leave me, please…"

He tightened his arms around her and buried his face in her hair.

_End._

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><p>That's it for today! I hope you enjoyed it! (Hopefully it's not bad. I've been wanting to write this for a while, but when I actually sat down it was hard to translate my thoughts into words.)<p>

Please remember to leave a review if you did. Constructive criticism is welcomed.

Thank you for reading!

Vee :)


	5. Of Braids and Princesses

Hello hello! I've been branching into new territory a lot lately, so I thought I'd come back to my roots and write some FMA. Here we go!

Side-note: I freaking love this one.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except for the plot and the characters Anna and Jacob.

**Rated T** because of one swear and some minor implications. Nothing bad.

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><p><em><strong>O<strong>f **B**raids and **P**rincesses_

Winry set down the automail arm she was working on and stripped off her oily gloves, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. It was time to take a break. Sighing, she glanced at the clock in the dim lighting of her workshop before heading out the door. It was one in the afternoon, which meant nap time for Anna. She was just glad that they only had to try and settle down one child today; silently, she thanked Roy and Miss Riza for taking Jacob off their hands for an afternoon. Playdates were a wonderful thing.

She wandered calmly around the house, searching for her daughter. After no luck finding her in the living room, a muffled male voice reached her ears, followed by a high-pitched giggling. Turning on her heel, she made her way to her bedroom. She gripped the brass doorknob and twisted it, pushing the door open.

Nothing could've prepared her for the sight that greeted her eyes.

Her five-year-old daughter glanced up at her, bright-eyes and blonde hair in short pigtails, as she sat at the edge of the bed. And Edward Elric, hero of Amestris and Alchemist of the People, sat cross-legged in front of her as she gripped his long locks tightly in her chubby hands. Several large chunks of his hair were tied in messy knots – probably a failed attempt at braiding.

Anna gave a bright smile. "I'm making Daddy a princess!"

Winry crossed her arms and brought a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. "Are you, now?"

"Yup! Isn't he pretty?"

"The prettiest." Oh, the look Ed gave her was priceless.

"He's almost ready for the ball, I think."

"Well, sweetheart, I think the ball's gonna have to wait until after naptime." She stepped into the room as she spoke. Anna frowned as she made another knot.

"But I'm not," she yawned, "I'm not tired, Mommy!"

"I think you are."

"I think I'm not."

Winry put her hands on her hips. "You need to lay down, Anna. But I promise that Daddy will be ready for the ball when you wake up."

Her daughter pouted and Ed watched the exchange, an amused expression on his face. Big help, he was. "You have to be ready too!"

"Yeah, Mommy," her husband piped up, grinning like the little shit he was.

"Daddy has to go with you to the ball, so you need to be a pretty princess too!" Ed's grin widened as he unfolded his legs and patted the space in front of him. She sighed and cocked an eyebrow, looking back at her daughter.

"…If I let him make me a princess, will you lie down without a fuss as soon as we're done?" Anna agreed enthusiastically and, grudgingly, Winry sat on the wooden floor in front of Edward.

At first, nothing happened. Then, a large hand gently touched her hair. His fingers weaved into the strands and she did her best to suppress a shiver as his touch trailed down her spine. Once he would reach the bottom, his hand would lift to her scalp and start its journey once more. It was slow and gentle, and Winry soon found her heart picking up pace. How he could still do this to her, she would never know. Anna started singing, making up the tune as she went along.

Edward was making no moves to hurry up the process. Obviously, he was enjoying making her squirm.

After a minute or so, he had cleared all of the tangles in her hair. Lightly, he moved his hands and gathered her hair together at the base of her head, deliberately letting his fingertips graze her neck. Fire danced on her skin. Suddenly, a puff of air hit her exposed neck. Goosebumps shot down her arms and her face started tingling. She scowled heavily and pinched his leg. Behind her, he snickered quietly. Anna was too caught up in her song to notice.

He separated her hair into three distinct chunks and started braiding. Winry thought back to the last time she braided his hair; it had to have been over ten years ago. She found herself wondering if he had ever braided hers before. She couldn't draw up a memory. Was this the first time? His deft fingers moved quickly and, as she felt him nearing the ends, she pulled off a spare band from her wrist and gave it to him. He took it and tied her braid off quickly. Without a word, his hands trailed to her sides and lingered there for a moment. She forgot to breathe.

He cleared his throat and, embarrassed, she suddenly remembered that their daughter was in the same room. "All done, Anna. Mommy's ready for the ball."

"Aww," Anna pouted, withdrawing her hands. She hopped off the bed. "Is she pretty?"

Winry could practically feel his smile. "I think so."

The five-year-old wandered to stand in front of her mother and brought a tiny hand to her chin, inspecting her dad's work closely. Winry turned her head left and right, batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated fashion. Anna smiled. "Yep! She's ready!"

"That means it's nap time," Winry grinned in relief.

"Nope!" Before she could react, Anna ran out of the room as fast as her little legs could carry her.

Winry groaned loudly, bringing a hand to her forehead. She should've known it wouldn't be that easy. Ed laughed warmly and snaked his arms around her middle. She leaned back into his chest and relaxed against him, allowing herself a little smile. His heartbeat was strong and steady against her back.

"How do you feel about having another kid?" he asked quietly.

His words rumbled in his chest and made her toes tingle. She turned her head toward him and smiled coyly, running her fingers lightly on his forearm.

"Put Anna down for a nap," she said in a low voice, "and then we'll _talk_."

She had never seen him move so quickly. She stood, laughing as his footsteps echoed down the hall. A girly squeal and heavy giggling followed.

_End._

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><p>I seriously love this one so much. It was a ton of fun to write! I have an unhealthy affection with Daddy Ed and Mommy Winry. Seriously, it's borderline obsessive. But I can't help it! I love putting them in cute family situations and <em>God they would just make the most perfect parents ever.<em>

Please let me know what you thought! Anonymous reviews and constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged.

Thanks for reading :)

Vee


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